Blind man&#39;s timepiece



April 15, 1969 s. COCHIN 3,435,195

BLIND MAN'S TIMEPIECE Filed June 16, 1966 v v Sheet of 2 v INVENTOR SOLOMON COCHN t/M 2 1 BY I ATTORNEYS S. COCHIN BLIND MANS TIMEPIECE A ril 15,1969

Sheet 2 of2 Filed June 16. v1966 FIG-6 FIGS FIG/7 mvem'on SOLOMON COCHIN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,438,195 BLIND MANS TIMEPIECE Solomon Cochin, 2124 Michigan, Detroit, Mich. 48216 Filed June 16, 1966, Ser. No. 558,117 Int. Cl. G04b 25/02 US. Cl. 58-1 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A watch is disclosed in which the conventional hour and minute hands have been replaced by means that enable a blind person to determine the time by touch. Said means including a series of regularly spaced abutments forming an annular array about a drive axis such that a resilient member may consecutively engage the abutments to determine the time elapsed from a reference time setting.

This invention relates to timepieces and more particularly to a device for manifesting to a non-visual sense the progress of time.

Conventional watches measure and provide a visual indication of the progress of time. There has long been a demand for a timepiece provided with means for manifesting to a person whose vision is impaired the progress of time and which has a fairly simple construction permitting a relatively low purchase price for the intended consumer. One attempt to provide such a device takes the form of a timepiece provided with a pair of bell indicators. In operation the user winds up a setting stern coupled with the bell indicators. One of the bells then gives forth a ringing sound corresponding in duration to the hour measurement and the second bell indicator gives forth a ringing sound corresponding in duration to the minute measurement.

The major problem associated with this type of device is that the driving mechanism and the associated indicating apparatus comprise a relatively complicated and expensive mechanism resulting in a purchase price that is well beyond the means of the average intended user.

The present invention, which will be subsequently described in detail, contemplates a conventional cased timepiece movement which drives a rotary stem at a rate preferably corresponding to one revolution in twelve hours. A disc carried by the stern has a flexible tongue section projecting angularly with respect to the plane of the disc. The free end of the tongue presents an abutment surface which is rotated by the stem in a clockwise manner at a rate corresponding to the hourly measurement of time. A short shaft is mounted for rotation on an axis forming an extension of the stem and carries a normally projecting rigid finger on the end adjacent the disc member. The shaft is journaled for rotation in a bossed plate which is fixed to the upper surface of the casing of the movement. The intermediate portion of the shaft is provided with a resilient finger member which rides over a cammed surface formed on the end of the boss. A notch is provided in the cammed surface which is fixed with respect to the watch movement and preferably aligned with what is ordinarily considered as a twelve oclock position on a conventional watch.

The shaft is movable between two extreme positions, the first wherein the resilient finger member registers with the notch at the twelve oclock position and a second extreme position, clockwise with respect to the first position, and wherein the rigid finger member moves into abutting relationship with the abutment surface of the rotating disc member. The angular displacement between the two extreme positions corresponds to the hourly measurement of time.

3,438,195 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 To measure this angular displacement, a notched wheel is associated with the shaft for rotation between the two extreme positions. Preferably the wheel is provided with 48 notches, each notch corresponding to one-quarter of an hour. An arm member mounted for rotational movement adjacent the notched wheel carries a spring member shaped to engage with the notches and which permits the user to rotate the wheel and shaft in a clockwise direction. The arm member is mounted for a limited rotational movement corresponding to four notches of the wheel. Thus, the arm member can be reciprocated between a forward position and a backward position, rotating the notched wheel only on the forward stroke. On the backward stroke, the resilient spring member rides over the notches, the backward movement of the notched wheel being prevented by a pawl.

-In operation the user seats the resilient finger member in the notch provided in the cammed surface and which corresponds to the twelve oclock position. He then rotates the notched wheel in a clockwise manner until the finger comes into abutting relationship with the abutment surface of the rotating disc and counts the strokes of the arm member between the two extreme positions. Each full stroke of the arm corresponds to one hour and the last stroke ranging from one notch corresponding to a 15 minute measurement up to four notches corresponding to a full stroke or an hour measurement will readily provide the user with a quick indication of the progress of time.

The relatively few parts required by the preferred embodiment of the present invention permits a simple, durable and uncomplicated time indicating mechanism for a person whose vision is impaired. The unsophisticated construction provides a fairly inexpensive time piece, well within the means of the average intended user.

It will therefore be seen that the primary object of the present invention is to provide a-timepiece having means for measuring and manifesting the progress of time to a sense other than visual by providing a mechanism having a touch receptive time indicating device which can be easily accommodated to a conventional timepiece movement.

It is a second object of the invention to provide an hour indicating device for a blind person comprising a timepiece movement having a shaft rotating at a rate corresponding to the hourly measurement of time, a first member fixed with respect to a reference hour, a second member carried by the shaft and rotatable therewith, the second member associated with the current hour, a finger member rotatable between a first extreme position associated with the fixed member and a second extreme position clockwise with respect to the first position and associated with the moving member, a notched wheel provided with a predetermined number of notches corresponding to each hour and associated with the shaft, and means associated with the notched wheel for determining the number of notches associated between the first extreme position of the finger member and the second extreme position of the finger member in order to compute the current time.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will readily occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description and the appended drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and which takes the form of a wristwatch;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the timepiece illustrated in FIG. 1 with the cover removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 3 is a view of the invention as seen along line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a view as seen substantially from line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view as seen from line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective View illustrating the rigid finger angularly spaced from the abutment surface of the timing disc;

FIG. 7 is a view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6 but rotated to illustrate the resilient finger seated in the notch; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the setting stem illustrated in FIG. 1.

In the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 4 illustrate a preferred blind mans timepiece generally indicated at 10 as attached to a strap 12 for fastening about a wrist. The timepiece 10 comprises a cased movement 14 operatively connected to a time indicating apparatus 16 which is covered by a removable lid 18.

The cased movement 14 includes an output stem 20, a driving mechanism (not shown) coupled to the stern, and a manually rotatable setting stem 22 adapted to be coupled to the output stem 20. The stem 20 is preferably rotated at a rate corresponding to one revolution every twelve hours.

The upper section of the cased movement 14 is enclosed by a face plate 24. The stem 20 extends through the face plate 24 and carries on its upper end a disc member 26 as can best be seen in FIG. 6. The disc 26 is provided with a resilient lip section 28 which extends away from the face plate 24 and presents an abutment surface 30 which lies in a plane passing through the axis of the stem 20. The abutment surface 30 rotates with the stem 20 making a revolution every 12 hours.

A die plate 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the face plate 24 and preferably has a coextensive periphery. A boss 34 is provided on the upper surface of the die plate 32. A bore 36 extends through the boss on an axis forming an extension of the stem 20 and terminates at its lower end adjacent the face plate 24 with an enlarged bore 38 which has a diameter sufficient to permit the disc 26 to freely rotate therein.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, a hollow shaft 40 is journaled in the smaller bore 36 and has a lower end provided with a radially extending rigid finger 42 which is closely spaced from the disc 26. The lower end of the shaft 40 loosely receives the upward extending end of the stem 20 to assure that the shaft 40' will rotate coaxially with respect to the axis of the stem 20. It is to be understood that the disc 26 is normally continually rotating in a manner dictated by the movement 14 and that the shaft 40 is nor mally stationary with respect to the disc.

The rigid finger 42 is provided with a radial dimension sufficient that when the shaft 40 is rotated a clockwise position, it comes into an abutting relationship with the abutment surface 30 to limit the clockwise movement of the shaft 40. Since the disc 26- is continually rotating in a clockwise fashion and the finger 42 is stationary, the tongue 28 is sufliciently resilient to permit it to be depressed by the finger 42 as it passes intermediate the finger 42 and the face plate 40.

The outer end of the boss 34 is provided with an enlarged bore 44 to define an annular cammed surface 46 which extends normally to the axis of rotation of the hollow shaft 40. A notch 48 is formed in the cammed surface and has preferably one side extending normally to the cammed surface 46 to present an abutment surface. The opposite side of the notch has a gradual slope.

A disc member 50 is pinned to the shaft 40 and carried for rotation thereby. The disc 50 is provided with a tongue section 52 which rides on the cammed surface 46. When the shaft 40 is rotated in the counter clockwise direction, the tongue 52 rides on the cam surface 4-6.11ntil it registers with the notch 48 against the abutment surface defined therein. Thus, it will be seen that the notch 48 limits the counter clockwise movement of the shaft 40 and its depending finger 42. The notch 48 is preferably aligned with a reference time position which is preferably the twelve oclock position and also with the setting stem 22. It can therefore be seen that since the notch 48 is fixed with respect to the cased movement 14, it defines a fixed extreme position for the shaft 40.

Now referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a flat annular shaped member 54 having a bore corresponding to the diameter of the boss 34 is slidably fitted thereon and is provided with a radially extending arm 56. The annular member 54 is provided with a circumferential recess 58 which registers with a normally extending pin 60 fixed to the die plate 32. The pin 60 limits the rotational freedom of the member 54 between a pair of extreme limits which will be subsequently described.

A notched wheel 62 as can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 is seated on top of the annular member 54. The wheel 62 is provided with a plurality of regularly spaced circumferential notches 64. In the preferred embodiment there are 48 equiangularly spaced notches. Each of the notches 64 corresponds to one-quarter of an hour, so that the circumference of the wheel 62 is associated with a 12. hour revolution. It can further be seen that four notches correspond to one hour of time.

The arm 56 carries a spring member 66 which is closely spaced to the notches 64 and has a terminal end 68 which is bent radially inwardly with respect to the notched wheel 62 to register in one of the notches 64. Still referring to FIG. 2, the arm 56 is provided with a finger grip extension 70. A tangential force exerted on the finger grip 70 in the clockwise direction causes the terminal end 68 of the spring 66 to register in one of the notches 64 and rotate the notched wheel 62 in a clockwise direction until the circumferential recess 58 of the annular member registers with the pin 60 at its extreme position. By alternatmg the tangential force on the finger grip 70, the arm member 56 can be returned to its opposite extreme position. During this return stroke, the spring member 66 flexes radially outwardly permitting the terminal end 68 to ride over the notches 64. Preferably the circumferential recess 58 is contoured to permit the notched wheel 62 to be rotated in strokes of four notches each corresponding to a one hour time interval.

A pawl 72, fixed to the die plate 32 is provided with a resilient tooth 74 which registers with the notches 64 to prevent the notched wheel 62 from backing in a counter clockwise direction when the spring member 66 is riding over the notches 64 on the return stroke.

Referring to FIG. 4, a crown gear 76 is fixed to the up per surface of the notched wheel 62 and is preferably provided with a plurality of teeth 78 corresponding in number to the notches 64.

The upper end of the shaft 40 is provided with an axial notch 80 as can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 7. An arm member 82 is seated in the notch 80 for pivotable movement by a pin 84. One free end 86 of the arm 82 carries a beveled enlargement 88 which has a contour permitting the enlargement to register with the teeth 78 of the crown gear 76. The arm 82 permits the enlargement 88 to pivot into and out of registry with the teeth 78.

An elongated spring member 90 has one end connected to the free end of the pin 84 and its other opposite end fixed to the enlargement 88 and normally urges the enlargement 88 downwardly and into registration with one of the teeth 78. A force imposed on the end of the arm 82 opposite the end 88 and a magnitude sufiicient to overcome the normal urging of the spring 90 will permit the enlargement 88 to move out of registry with the notches 80. A disc 92 is connected by a flat shaped spring member 94 to the free end of the arm 82 opposite the enlargement 88 and is adjacent the upper end of the shaft 40 to permit a finger pressure to be imposed on the arm 82.

It will be seen from inspection of the drawings that when the enlargement 88 is in registry with the teeth 80,

that the notched wheel 62 is operatively attached to the rigid finger 42 carried on the lower end of the shaft 40. When the enlargement 88 is free of the crown wheel 76, the notched wheel 62 is free for rotation independent of the shaft 40.

'In operation, the blind mans timepiece is utilized to indicate the progress of the time as measured by the movement 14 by first raising the enlargement 88 to clear the teeth 80 of the crown wheel 76 as heretofore described, rotating the shaft 40 until the resilient tongue 52 is seated in the notch 48, thus aligning the finger 42 in its extreme counter clockwise position which is associated with the twelve oclock position. The enlargement 88 is lowered into registry with one of the teeth 78 and the notched wheel 62 rotated in a clockwise direction by a series of reciprocatory strokes of the finger grip extension 70. As the notched wheel 62 is rotated clockwise, it carries the finger 42 which also moves in a clockwise direction from its twelve oclock position until it moves into abutting relationship with the abutment surface 30 of the tongue 28. At this point, the shaft 40 has been rotated to its extreme clockwise position and the user can compute the time as a function of the number of strokes of the finger grip extension 70. Each stroke corresponds to a one hour increment and the last stroke or partial stroke is computed in terms of 15 minutes or one-quarter hour per notch.

Assuming that the time is 5:15, the angular difference between the extreme positions of the finger 42 associated with the notch 48 and the abutment surface 30 of the tongue 28is 21 notches. Thus the user will reciprocate the finger grip extension 70 through five strokes and then through one notch of the last stroke for five and onequarter hours. It can thus be seen that the user can ascertain the progress of time through a non-visual means with the aid of his fingers which can ascertain the number of strokes associated with the time.

It is further evident that as the spring member 66 moves into and out of registry with each of the notches 64, that a clicking sound is heard so that the user also has an audio manifestation of the progress of time.

In order to assist the user to set the preferred timepiece to the correct time by non-visual means, the setting stem 22 in the conventional extended setting position is coupled to the output stem for a one to one rotation. Referring to FIG. 8, the setting stem 22 is provided with a circumferential fiat 96 and at 90 degree increments, a first notched section 98, a second notched section 100 and a third notched section 102. To set the timepiece, the user first determines the position of the resilient lip 30 and then rotates it to a position corresponding to the current time by rotating the extended setting stem 22. Preferably one revolution of the stem 22 corresponds to one hour. By initially aligning the flat 96 with the upper surface of the lid 18, the user can determine by touch the number of revolutions he has rotated the stem. The notched sections 98, 100, and 102 assist him to determine the increment of rotation corresponding to 15, 30 and 45 minutes. Normally, the user can set the timepiece to a fraction of a 15 minute increment by touch.

It is therefore seen that I have described a device for manifesting to a blind person in either a touch-receptive or audio manner the progress of time as measured by a timepiece movement. The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises relatively few components which provide a durable and reliable means for ascertaining the time and which can be assembled with very inexpensive manufacturing techniques.

I claim: 1. A timepiece device for assisting a blind person to ascertain the time, comprising:

(a) timepiece means having a case and a driven member supported on the case for rotation; (b) a first abutment on said case that is fixed with respect to said case and spaced with respect to the axis of rotation of the driven member;

(c) a first member having a second abutment that is spaced with respect to said axis, the first member being supported on said case for rotation about said axis and being connected to said driven member for rotation by the driven member such that the angular interval between the first and the second abutments at any selected time corresponds to the amount of time that has progressed from a reference time;

(d) a second member supported on said case for rotation about said axis between a first extreme position defined by the position of the first abutment and a second extreme position defined by the position of the second abutment, said second member having a series of regularly spaced abutments formed in an annular array about said axis so as to move in a path as the second member is rotated, the angular distance between each neighboring pair of abutments being formed to correspond to a predetermined increment of time;

(e) a resilient member supported on the case adjacent the path of motion of said series of abutments and adapted to consecutively and perceptively engage said series of abutments as the second member and the resilient member are rotated relative to one another;

(f) means for rotating the second member from one of its extreme positions to the other of its extreme positions such that the second member and the resilient member are moved relative to one another and the resilient member engages a number of said series of abutments that corresponds to the angular displacement between said first and second abutments in a manner that is perceptible to touch so that a person by sensing the number of engagements be,- tween the resilient member and the series of abutments can determine the amount of time that has passed with respect to the reference time.

2. A timepiece device as defined in claim 1, in which the means for rotating the second member from one of its extreme positions to the other of its extreme positions comprises an arm supported on said case for rotation about said axis in a first direction and in the opposite, second direction between a first position and a second position that is spaced from the first position an angular interval corresponding to a predetermined interval of time, and the resilient member is carried on said arm and is engagable with said series of abutments such that the second member is rotated in a first direction as the arm is rotated in the first direction, and the arm can be rotated in the opposite, second direction at such times as the second member is restrained against rotation in the second direction, and including a pawl on said case engagable with said series of abutments to allow rotation of the second member in the first direction but to prevent its rotation in the second direction, so that the second member can be rotated between its extreme positions by moving the arm in a stroke in alternate directions between its first and second extreme positions and determine the time that has passed by counting the number of strokes necessary to move the second member from its first extreme position to its second extreme position.

3. A timepiece device as defined in claim 2, in which the first and second positions of the arm are angularly spaced a distance which corresponds to the angular distance the driven member rotates in one hour.

4. A timepiece device as defined in claim 2, in which adjacent pairs of said series of abutments are angularly spaced from one another a distance that corresponds to the angular distance the driven member rotates in one quarter of an hour.

'5. A timepiece device as defined in claim 1, including a shaft supported on said case concentrically with respect to said second member and for rotation about said axis in said first and second directions, means on said shaft enga-gable with the first abutment as the shaft is rotated in the first direction and engagable with the second abutment as the shaft is rotated in the second direction such that the shaft can only be rotated through an angular interval that corresponds to the angular interval between first and second abutments, pawl means on the case engagable with the second member to allow rotation of the second member in one direction but to prevent rotation in the other direction, and means carried on said shaft which are engageable with the second member so that the shaft can be rotated as the second member is rotated, and which are separable from the second member so that the shaft can be rotated independently of the second member, and manual means for rotating the second member at such times as it is connected with the shaft so the resilient member consecutively engages said series of abutments as the shaft is rotated between a position in which it is in abutment with the first abutment to a position in which it is in abutment with the second abutment.

6. A timepiece device as defined in claim 1, including a stem rotatably mounted on said case and coupled with said driven member such that a rotation of the stem through an angular interval rotates the driven member through a proportional angular interval, and means on said stem that can be sensed by touch for indicating the angular displacement of the stem with respect to a reference position so that a blind person can rotate the driven member to a selected position with respect to the case by rotating the stem.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,785,530 3/1957 Mayer 58-126 ROBERT S. WARD, JR., Primary Examiner. L. HAMBLEN, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 58-59, 126 

